Just Another Linky #51

Welcome to week 51 of Just Another Linky with myself and Beth at Life As Mum. Thank you to everyone that linked up last week while I was away. This is the place to link up any post, old or new, that you are really proud of and would like to show up. We have a great selection of link up's each week so all topics and subjects are welcome.

Last week was a must needed break from the linky with us moving house as we had so much to sort and organise but I have to say I did miss it! Well I am back and looking forward to reading everyone's posts this week.

This week has been a busy but really really lovely week with getting into a new routine, with only having to walk up the road to preschool rather than drive, and settling into our new house. I am so happy here and think I am walking around with a permanent smile on my face, apart from when the boys are driving me potty!

Now onto this weeks linky, lets get going!

Meet your hosts

Me - Kirsty - Something Crunchy Mummy - @crunchy_mummy

 

 

Beth - Life-As-Mum - @lifeasmumblog

Here are just a few linky rules:

• No more than 2 posts a week - Please! There have been some people linking up more than this, please stick to just the 2 so it is fair on everyone.

• Comment on the hosts posts and at least 1 other posts, more if you can.

• New or old posts welcome.

• Grab the badge below so everyone knows where to find us.

Feel free to tweet your post, along with the hashtag #justanotherlinky, mentioning me @crunchy_mummy and Beth @lifeasmumblog and we will retweet.

By linking up to this linky you are giving Beth & Kirsty the right to copy one of your photos if you are chosen for the Favourite Post of the week.

We are open every Saturday from 12am until Monday at 11:55pm.

This weeks Favourite Posts

My favourite post from week #49 was by The Squirmy Popple with Motherhood : What I've Lost and Gained. It was a post I really related to, pop over and take a read if you have time.

** GRAB THE BADGE **

 

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An InLinkz Link-up

A Tough Subject

How do you talk to a toddler about such a thing? Something that is so real but something we want to shield them from? It's a subject that has started to come up more and more as Finley gets older and questions are getting asked when we visit my Gramps grave. And that is death.

I don't want to scare him or make him think about it too much as he is only 4 but it's something he's getting more curious about.

The other day as we drove past a grave yard Finley said to me 'that's Grampy's gravy yard.' It wasn't the same one, so I told him that it was one very similar and Grampy's grave was in the village my Nan lives in. I could see in the mirror him thinking then Noah popped up saying 'Grampy's house.' Finley instantly told him 'no as Grampy died. He was old so he died.' This gave me a lump in my throat because he understood why my Gramp was no longer here. But it got me thinking because I don't want him to think that everyone who is old will die because we all say it don't we, 'oh I'm getting old' and I worry that it will start to play on his mind and that he will start to worry.

I talk about my Gramp often to my mum & nan and also in everyday conversation because he was a huge part of my life. And I've explained to Finley why he is no longer here, just with the brief 'because he was poorly' but I'm not sure where he got the old bit from.

It's such a tough subject that we need to talk about with our children but a subject that I wonder if I need to be totally honest. Do I sugar coat it so that in later life they are shocked or do I tell my innocent 4 year old the truth? 

How do we education such little minds about death because it's a big part of our lives as they will lose family and they will have friends who lose family and they will have so many questions. 

Be direct or wrap them in cotton wool? I honestly don't know.

Royal Rascals Baby Safe Mirror Giveaway

From the moment our children are born safety is our number one priority, especially in the car. When my two were younger I was always very anxious in the car as I couldn't see them even though we did have a mirror it wasn't the most reliable. When I was contacted by Royal Rascals about their Baby Safe Mirror we decided to collaborate and run a competition on the blog. As my boys are now older and forward facing I am unable to review the product but we wanted to offer one lucky reader the chance to win one.

Here is a little more information on this fantastic product:

Royal Rascals is a business dedicated to children’s safety. Baby Safe Mirror is the first product offered by the company. This baby car mirror is designed to be durable, easy to use, and efficient. This accessory will become a great help to all parents, grandparents, and guardians who travel with babies. Typically, children under 15 months of age need to be strapped in a rear facing baby car seat. This makes it almost impossible for the driver to see the child, which causes concerned parents a great amount of stress. In some cases, a cry from a baby in this position can lead to an accident because the driver has to turn and reach around in order to check what is wrong. This is where a baby car mirror comes into play.

Baby Safe Mirror is a simple device that can be easily and securely fixed to a headrest. The base of the accessory is covered by a soft foam layer to prevent damage to the upholstery. The robust base of the accessory prevents it from vibrating and distorting the image when the car moves. This baby car mirror can rotate and tilt, so you can angle it as you need in order to ensure perfect reflection. What makes this product unique on the market is its yellow frame. This colour was specifically chosen to provide an additional safety benefit, as the human eye detects yellow quicker than any other colour. Therefore, with this little safety device, the driver will be able to keep an eye on the baby in the backseat without dragging his or her attention from the road for more than a few moments.

For your chance to win one of the Royal Rascal Baby Safe Mirrors simply enter below. Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Santa Maria Quick & Easy Pulled Pork Dinner Kit - Review

I seem to get in a rut when it comes to dinner and we end up having the same meals week after week, so when I was contacted to see if I would like to review the Quick and Easy Pulled Pork Dinner Kit by Santa Maria I was up for the challenge. I love pulled pork and the idea of it being ready in less than 2 hours sounded great.

All you need is the pork of your choice, 2 red onions and the Santa Maria Dinner Kit, simple! I went with pork chops, but you can choice whichever pork you prefer. I followed the instructions and put the pork in the bag provided and added the seasoning. Holding the top of the bag I shook it to make sure the pork was all covered and then added the tie to the top and placed it into the oven. Ours is a fan over so I put it on 175 degrees and cooked it for 90 minutes. I put it on so that it would be ready just after the boys had gone to bed.

While the pork was cooking I chopped up a red onion, it says to use two but as it was just going to be myself and my husband having the meal I used just the one, and coated it in the red onion seasoning. I then placed it in the fridge until the pork was ready.

The smell that came from the kitchen while the pork was cooking was divine and it was making me hungrier and hungrier as the evening went on.

With the boys in bed I got the pork out and let it sit on the side while I heated up the tortilla wraps. I put them all in the microwave for 45 seconds and they came out perfect. With the pork a little cooler, I opened the bag and placed the pork chops into a bowl and pulled it to make the pulled pork. The smell once it was out the oven was even better and I couldn't wait to try it.

With everything ready, we made our wraps by adding on the pulled pork, some onion and the bbq sauce. I served mine with a salad and some hummous as it was our main meal of the day.

It was delicious and tasted just like pulled pork would if you had done it in the slow cooker for 12 hours. I would total recommend this as it tasted amazing!

* For the purpose of this review I was sent a Santa Maria Dinner Kit. All opinions are 100% my own. *

My Sunday Photo 10/04/16

New Beginnings

As we took the stickers off of the boys walls the emotion was beginning to building up. This is the first house my husband and I bought, the first place we ever lived together. Where we learnt about each other in our entirety and where we realised we wanted to spend our lives together. Both boys came home to here from the hospital, they both took their first steps here. Where they had their first bath and their first taste of real food. This house holds so many memories and I am so lucky that the most part of them are happy.

The fireplace has always been the backdrop on photos for occasions, be it birthdays, Easter or just dressing up at home. That place has been what I think is the center of our home and where most of our memories have been made, in the living room.

I will always remember the boys sat on the big sofa next to each other with a bowl of popcorn each watching films together. The nights I have spent walking along the landing to either or both of their rooms when they were either poorly or restless. This was our home. And I hope the boys remember it with the same fondness I do.

Yes the floor boards squeak, and you can just about swing a cat in Noah's bedroom, but it was our home. We have all laughed here and we have all cried. We have all shouted and have all fallen down the stairs!

The boys have both woken up here on their first Christmas mornings and they have both fallen over on the bumpy path up to the shed that I always said I wanted changing. 

This is the house they became best friends in the moment they first met when Noah came home from the hospital. That red door has had so many photos taken in front of it and it's the same door way we have waved goodbye to many family & friends who have visited is. The place I stood crying as my not yet two year old ran to me after I had had Noah and I thought how big he now looked.

My husband and I have shouted at each other and called each other every name under the sun in this house, but this is also the place we had the conversation about starting a family. The place we say I love you and the place my husband always kisses me goodbye in the morning before he goes to work.

It has been our home for nearly 9 years and what an incredible 9 years that has been. It's seen us go from a 2 to a family of 3 then where we completed our family of 4. 

It will always mean so much to me but we have so much more to learn and to do in our new house. And we will make that house our home. A home the boys will want to be and that will be their happy place.

Goodbye red door, goodbye squeaking floor boards, but hello to our future. Our new beginning.

Our family

Our Day Out At Woodchester Park

With it being half term and the fact that our last half term was ruined by illness I wanted to make the most of this one. I love days out where the boys can run free and explore so when my friend invited us along to Woodchester Park we were very excited. I had never been there, even though as I found out on the way that it is just 10 minutes from where I grew up! It is part of The National Trust but to enter you don't need a membership you just have to pay the £3 parking, bargain day out!

We arrived just after 10.30am and with the sun shining it was the perfect day for it. The boys couldn't wait to get going and loaded up with children and picnics we set off into the woodland. I didn't know what to expect as I hadn't done any research but I could tell straight away this place was going to be awesome.

We had only been walking 2 minutes and the boys were already exploring off the track. There are a few routes you can take but we took the shorter route as we knew that with little legs and the way they explore that this would take all day. As we headed up the hill Noah found a stick which he started to use as a walking stick, as he was trying his best to keep up with the two older boys.

At the top of the hill there were some wooden bars to balance on with some stepping stones, the boys heaven. After spending 10 minutes here we managed to drag them away to carry on the walk. Before we started off again we stopped and let the boys do some crayon rubbing on a rubbing spot.

We carried on and not far along there were some more logs for the boys that were like steps and they enjoyed playing here for a while and also jumping in the mud just along side it. As we carried on there were lots of muddy ridges for the boys to climb, which they did, and also slid down. They had a ball seeing how high they could climb and exploring what was on the hill sides. We stopped at a great spot that had a lovely seat for the boys so they could have a snack.

Once snack time was over we were off again to see what else we could find. We had quite a few fallings over as the boys wouldn't slow down and couldn't wait to see what was around the next corner. 

Noah had his microscope, which he calls his mirror, with him so we stopped a few times to investigate what was on the side from flowers to leaves. It was so lovely to see him so interested in nature.

After half an hour the boys were hungry so we found a spot to have lunch, sitting down for lunch didn't last long as there was just far too much to see and do. With lunch eaten we were off again to see what else we could find. Just at the top of the next hill there was a rope swing which the boys had a ball on. After taking turns off they ran to another rope swing just along the path. Here there was a little bit of a toddler fight and after having a chat they were on good terms again after having another go on the swing.

This place really is fantastic with loads of things to do and loads for the boys to find. The next thing we stumbled upon was a wooden seesaw. By this time the boys were getting a little tired so we made our way to the mansion house where we were planning on getting the bus back up the hill, as I don't think little legs would have made it. Just before the bus stop there were some hidden steps which the boys enjoyed running up and down and playing peek a boo.

We got to the bus just in time thankfully and once all on the bus up the hill we went. Finley and his best friend were sat together on the back seat and were having a lovely little chat about their adventure. It is so lovely to hear their little conversations. We got back to the car and as we were loading up the car I looked over to the nearby field where a cow had literally just had its calf! We took the boys over to see and they were fascinated.

All loaded in the car and on the road home, it didn't take them long to fall asleep with smiles on their faces.

Trespass Florissant Womens Waterproof Jacket - Review

When I was recently contacted by Trespass and asked if I would like to review one of their products I instantly said yes. We are an outdoors family so this suited us right down to the ground. I decided to go for something for myself as both boys have coats and I really needed a good waterproof for our days out and for the school run. I have been banging on to my husband about wanting a new coat for a while so he was happy with this as it shut me up lol!

I decided to go for the Florrissant Waterproof Jacket in Black Iris as I wanted something that would keep me dry but also not make me too hot. This also appealed to me as even in cold weather, once I have been walking a while or running after my two I get quite hot but when it's a little chilly outside or raining, taking my coat off isn't an option.

The coat arrived and I wasn't disappointed. The colour was great and I loved the little bit of pink detail, made it that bit more girly. My old waterproof was bright pink so this being more reserved was something I liked. It fitted perfectly.

The coat has a few different zip pockets which are great for people like me that like to store things, mostly random rubbish, and they were a great size. The two pockets at the bottom were ample size and my phone fit in there perfectly and I could still zip them up to keep my phone safe.

Since the coat arrived I have basically worn it everyday as it is so practical with the weather how it has been that it looks good as well as keeps me dry in the lovely rain showers that we have been getting. It also kept me nice and warm when the weather was a little bit on the chilly side but I also didn't get too hot when it was raining but warmish out.

It kept me nice and dry through the showers that I have worn it and the hood is also ample size. I have found with previous coats that I have owned that the hoods have been too small so when the rain comes it keep the back of my head dry but my fringe and face get wet. The hood can also be folded away when you don't want it.

All in all this is a brilliant coat for the season that we are just entering and I can see it being a very durable coat so one that will be an old faithful one for years to come.

On our day to the beach

On our trip to Lambing Weekend

 * For the purpose of this review I was sent a jacket from Trespass. All opinions are 100% my own.*